Nick Luck
Nick Luck’s William Hill Blog: Saturday Best Bets
William Hill ambassador is on hand with his best bets across the cards at Haydock, Ascot, and Kempton on Saturday.
Saturday, Haydock
COLORI FOREVER is a sporting each way shout in the Superior Mile, Saturday’s TV opener at a sodden Haydock Park (1.25pm). He stepped up on already progressive form at Newmarket last time behind a genuinely high-class horse, and with his stable in rip-roaring form, he should build on that once again. There are some encouraging signs ground-wise: he ran his best race as a juvenile on heavy at Doncaster, while there are plenty of clues in his pedigree that he could be a late season type.
ROCKET BOY might be another for the same connections in the Ascendant (1.55pm). He broke his maiden in a fair time, before posting the best single piece of form on offer here at Salisbury. Again, there are indications in his breeding that soft ground might not be a barrier to success, and this isn’t the deepest edition of this race. I’d strongly expect him to improve for a sterner test at this trip.
LOPEO is my pick in the third race (2.30pm), and he’s from a stable that badly needs some winners. David Menuisier has had a couple go pretty close this week, and you feel a turn in the weather could do the trick very soon. That uncertainty is clearly factored into Lopeo’s big price, as he was well fancied to win the valuable contest at Newmarket won by Mythical Bay, and you only have to forgive that one blow out to make a serious case for him judged on his prior progress.
FINALISE is a strong(ish) pick in the Old Borough Cup (3.05pm). She did really well on easy ground at the back end of last season and has clearly been kept away from the quick stuff over the summer. Her return to action in Germany was quite promising, making taking ground up from a tardy start and staying on dourly. A more honest gallop here should help, and she comes here a much fresher horse than most.
PABORUS looks to have his chance of landing a big one in the Sprint Cup (3.40pm). I fancied him in the City of York, but seven furlongs on drying ground allied to poor track position late in the race conspired against him. Still, he ran with much more credit than suggested by his finishing position, and I love the idea of him back over six on deep ground. Danny Tudhope should really suit him, and it is hard to escape how decisively he dominated Marvelman in the Chipchase.
Saturday, Ascot
MUBASIMAH could run a big race at odds in the first of two televised races at Ascot (1.40pm). It’s under a year since she was pushing Calendar Girl close in a Group 3, yet here she is working her way down the weights after a rather anonymous season. The salient point, however, is that her run at York after a break offered way more encouragement, suggesting all was not lost. The straight seven here will suit, and I can see her making a good fist of it from somewhere near the front.
HEYZOOM should be pretty tough in the twelve-furlong handicap (2.10pm). He ran a solid race at Royal Ascot in a tempo-led affair under today’s rider, and even a bare repeat of that (front three have all progressed to win significant races since) will see him go very close. He has been gelded since, should appreciate a little more cut in the ground, and looks a decent favourite.
Saturday, Kempton
WARRIOR MODE looks tempting in the William Hill London Mile final (2.20pm). He won the qualifier here quite nicely for the same rider, is well drawn to make the most of likely positive tactics and has only been raised four pounds for a pretty emphatic win. He’s bred to be a good bit better than this mark and can give it a bold shot.
TORNADO ALERT gets a narrow vote in the William Hill September Stakes (2.50pm). He looked the likely winner for much of his Group One return from a year’s absence in a German Group one and has a nice blend of pace and stamina for a poly track mile and a half. That should have brought him on a fair bit (he was quite fresh for much of the race), and Oisin Murphy gets back on board.
